Venus and Adonis (Quarto 1, 1592-3)
Author: William ShakespeareEditor: Hardy M. CookPeer Reviewed


¶I haue bene wooed as I intreat thee now,
¶Euen by the
sterne, and direfull god of warre,
¶VVho
se
sinowie necke in battell nere did bow,
100VVho conquers where he comes in euerie iarre,
¶_Yet hath he bene my captiue, and my
slaue,
¶_And begd for that which thou vnaskt
shalt haue.
¶Ouer my Altars hath he hong his launce,
¶His battred
shield, his vncontrolled cre
st,
105And for my
sake hath learnd to
sport, and daunce,
¶To toy, to wanton, dallie,
smile, and ie
st,
¶_Scorning his churli
sh drumme, and en
signe red,
¶_Making my armes his field, his tent my bed.
¶Thus he that ouer-ruld, I ouer-
swayed,
110Leading him pri
soner in a red ro
se chaine,
¶Strong-temperd
steele his
stronger
strength obayed.
¶Yet was he
seruile to my coy di
sdaine,
¶_Oh be not proud, nor brag not of thy might,
¶_For mai
string her that foyld the god of fight.
115Touch but my lips with tho
se faire lips of thine,
¶Though mine be not
so faire, yet are they red,
¶The ki
sse
shalbe thine owne as well as mine,
¶VVhat
see
st thou in the ground? hold vp thy head,
¶_Looke in mine ey-bals, there thy beautie lyes,
120_Then why not lips on lips,
since eyes in eyes?
¶Art thou a
sham'd to ki
sse? then winke againe,
¶And I will winke,
so
shall the day
seeme night.
¶Loue keepes his reuels where there are but twaine:
¶Be bold to play, our
sport is not in
sight,
125_The
se blew-veind violets whereon we leane,
¶_Neuer can blab, nor know not what we meane.

